A new poll has found that British drivers are baffled by safety technology introduced under European Union rules, with many admitting they do not understand how it works.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) tools, which include lane-keeping aids and autonomous emergency braking, have been mandatory on all cars sold in the EU since July 2024. While these tools are not legally required in the UK, most manufacturers still fit them to UK cars to secure a standard type approval across the European market.
Survey reveals confusion among motorists
In a survey of 1,480 drivers with assistance technology in their cars, commissioned by Carwow and seen exclusively by the Express, more than four in ten (43%) said they do not know what the technology is capable of doing without them. A further 37% admitted their car has done something they were not expecting, while a third (13%) said their car's driver assistance often takes them by surprise.
Only 27% of respondents said they had received an explanation of the ADAS features at the point of sale, and less than half (48%) of the remaining drivers said they had attempted to learn how the tools work.
Legal responsibility and liability concerns
More concerning, 52% of drivers were not aware that if their car's lane-keeping or emergency braking causes an incident, the driver is still legally responsible. The poll also found that 39% of road users said they do not know who should pay for damage if an ADAS system causes a crash, with 25% claiming the manufacturer should cover the cost.
Siobhan Doyle, consumer writer at Carwow, said: “Driver assistance technology is becoming increasingly common in modern cars, but our research suggests there’s still a real gap between what cars can do and what drivers understand about the systems they’re using.”
She added: “These features are designed to make driving safer and easier, but they’re there to assist the driver, not replace them. It’s concerning that so many people are unsure what their car can do, or who would be responsible if something went wrong.”
Call for clearer communication
Doyle said car manufacturers and dealers have an important role to play in explaining these features clearly, but drivers also have a responsibility to understand their own cars, what the technology can and cannot do, and when they need to intervene. “Crucially, driver assistance doesn’t mean handing over control, and drivers need to understand that they remain responsible for how they use these systems,” she added.
